Jayson Tatum
Born 1998 · Age 27
American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics; multi-time All-Star and All-NBA selection, 2024 NBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in St. Louis, Missouri
Jayson Christopher Tatum Sr. was born to Brandy Cole-Barnes and Justin Tatum in St. Louis.
Met LeBron James (early inspiration)
At age eight, introduced to LeBron James through Larry Hughes (his father's friend); cited as an influential early experience.
Started at Chaminade College Preparatory
Began attending Chaminade in Creve Coeur, Missouri; inspired by senior Bradley Beal; struggled with rigorous academics but developed as prospect.
Freshman season honors – MCC Co-Player of the Year
Averaged 13.3 PPG and 6.4 RPG; named 2013 Metro Catholic Conference Co-Player of the Year and led Chaminade to MCC and Missouri District 2 crowns.
FIBA U17 World Championship (2014)
Played for USA in the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship.
Sophomore statistical breakout
Averaged 26.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game as a high-school sophomore.
FIBA U19 World Championship Gold (2015)
Member of the USA U19 team that won the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship; named to Eurobasket.com All-World Championship U19 Second Team.
Led EYBL in scoring (2015)
Led the EYBL Circuit in scoring with 26.5 points per game and averaged 9.5 rebounds per game during the 2015 EYBL season.
Nike Peach Jam semi-final buzzer-beater
With St. Louis Eagles (AAU) in EYBL, hit a game-winning buzzer-beater in the Peach Jam semi-final; team advanced to championship game.
Verbal commitment to Duke University
Verbally committed to Duke over North Carolina, Kentucky, and Saint Louis University (commit date listed as July 12, 2015).
Nike Peach Jam championship performance
Finished championship game with 28 points and 5 rebounds (Peach Jam final vs Georgia Stars, July 12).
Top-3 recruit in class of 2016 (five-star)
Rated a five-star recruit and ranked No. 3 overall in the 2016 high-school class by major recruiting services.
Senior year statistical dominance and state title
As a senior (2015–16), averaged 29.6 PPG and 9.1 RPG and led Chaminade to the Missouri Class 5A state championship; posted six 40-point games.
Gatorade National Player of the Year
Named the 2016 Gatorade National Player of the Year for high-school boys basketball.
McDonald's All-American Game appearance
Selected to the 2016 McDonald's All-American Game; led the East team with 18 points and 8 rebounds in the March 30 game.
Jordan Brand Classic performance
Played in the April Jordan Brand Classic, scoring 18 points in the East's 131–117 victory.
Duke debut
Missed first eight Duke games due to foot injury; in Duke debut on Dec 3, 2016 vs Maine recorded 10 points.
Birth of son (Jayson Jr., 'Deuce')
Welcomed his son commonly nicknamed 'Deuce' in 2017.
Declared for 2017 NBA Draft (one-and-done)
Opted to leave Duke after freshman season and enter the 2017 NBA draft as a one-and-done prospect.
ACC Tournament semifinal – 24 pts vs UNC
Scored 24 points in Duke's 93–83 victory over North Carolina in the ACC tournament semifinals on March 10, 2017.
ACC Tournament champion with Duke
Tallied 19 points and 8 rebounds in a 75–69 victory over Notre Dame on March 11, 2017 to secure the ACC title; named to All-ACC Tournament team.
Selected 3rd overall in 2017 NBA Draft
Drafted third overall by the Boston Celtics (after team traded down from No.1 to No.3 on draft night).
Summer League strong showing; All-Summer League Second Team
Averaged ~18 PPG and strong rebounding in Summer League (Utah & Las Vegas), earned All-Summer League Second Team honors.
NBA debut – double-double
In NBA debut (Oct 17, 2017) recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds as starting power forward vs Cavaliers.
Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month (Dec 2017)
Named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for December 2017.
Playoff double-double vs Bucks (Game 1)
Recorded 19 points and 10 rebounds in overtime Game 1 victory vs Milwaukee on April 15, 2018.
Rookie playoff scoring breakout – 28 pts vs 76ers (Apr 30)
Scored then-career-high 28 points in Game 1 of the second-round series vs Philadelphia (Apr 30, 2018); first Celtics rookie since Larry Bird to score 25+ in a playoff game.
Named NBA All-Rookie First Team
Earned NBA All-Rookie First Team honors for the 2017–18 season.
Purchased Newton, Massachusetts mansion
Bought a mansion in Newton, Massachusetts (reported purchase year: 2019).
Won NBA Skills Challenge (All-Star Weekend)
Won the Skills Challenge during the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend.
Named NBA All-Star (2020)
First All-Star selection (listed above as Jan 30, 2020); begins multi-year All-Star run (2020–2025, six selections total to date).
All-NBA Third Team (2019–20 season)
Named to the All-NBA Third Team for the 2019–20 season.
Named to All-NBA Third Team (2020)
First All-NBA selection: All-NBA Third Team for the 2019–20 season.
Named NBA All-Star (1st selection)
Selected as an Eastern Conference reserve for his first NBA All-Star Game (2020).
Signed rookie max extension (5 years, $163M)
Agreed to a rookie-maximum extension with the Celtics: five years, $163 million, with potential to rise to $195.6 million if All-NBA criteria met.
Second consecutive All-Star selection (2021)
Named an All-Star again in 2021 (reserve).
Career-high 40 points (Jan 4, 2021)
Scored a season-high 40 points in a 126–114 victory over the Toronto Raptors.
Career-high 53 points (Apr 9, 2021)
Scored then-career-high 53 points along with 16 made field goals vs Minnesota Timberwolves.
Scored 60 points in comeback win (May 4, 2021)
Scored 60 points to lead Celtics in a comeback vs San Antonio Spurs; tied Larry Bird record for Celtics single-game high.
50-point Play-in game (May 18, 2021)
Scored 50 points in the play-in tournament win over the Washington Wizards; set record for most points in a play-in game.
50-point playoff game vs Nets (May 28, 2021)
Scored 50 points in Game 3 of first-round series vs Brooklyn Nets — multiple historic playoff firsts recorded.
Olympic gold medal – Tokyo 2020 (played in 2021)
Named to the 2020 U.S. Olympic team (tournament held in 2021); helped Team USA win gold and averaged 15.2 PPG during the tournament.
All-NBA First Team selection (2022)
Selected to All-NBA First Team for the 2021–22 season (first First Team selection).
Led NBA in plus-minus (2021–22 season)
Recorded the highest plus-minus in the NBA for the 2021–22 season, highlighting his on-court value.
Third consecutive All-Star selection (2022)
Selected to the 2022 NBA All-Star Game (third straight).
Named inaugural Eastern Conference Finals MVP
After Game 7 vs Miami Heat (May 29, 2022), awarded the first-ever Eastern Conference Finals MVP averaging 25.0/8.0/5.5 in series.
Most assists in Finals debut (13)
In Game 1 of 2022 NBA Finals (June 2), recorded 13 assists — most assists by any player in their Finals debut.
Led NBA in total points for season (2022–23)
Finished the 2022–23 regular season with a league-best 2,225 points and averaged 30.1 PPG (first Celtics player to average 30+).
All-NBA First Team selection (2023)
Selected to All-NBA First Team for the 2022–23 season (second consecutive First Team selection).
Fourth All-Star selection and first as starter (2023)
Named an All-Star starter in 2023 (first time as a starter; fourth overall selection).
Season-high 51 points (Jan 16, 2023)
Scored 51 points (season-high) vs Charlotte Hornets and surpassed Larry Bird for most 50-point regular season games in Celtics history.
NBA All-Star Game MVP (55 points)
Tallied 55 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game and was named All-Star MVP; set All-Star scoring record (55).
Record 51 points in Game 7 (May 14, 2023)
Scored 51 points in Game 7 vs Philadelphia — the most points in any NBA Game 7 in history.
Reached 10,000 career points
Became the youngest Celtic to reach 10,000 career points at 25 years, 246 days (Nov 4, 2023).
Fifth consecutive All-Star selection (2024) – starter
Named an Eastern Conference starter for the 2024 All-Star Game (fifth selection, second straight as starter).
First player to lead champion in points, rebounds & assists
During the 2024 championship run, became one of six players to lead his team in total points, rebounds and assists; youngest/shortest to do so.
Olympic gold medal – Paris 2024
Named to the 2024 U.S. Olympic team and won a gold medal with Team USA in Paris (2024).
All-NBA First Team selection (2024)
Selected to All-NBA First Team for the 2023–24 season (third consecutive First Team selection).
Won first NBA championship (2024)
Led Boston Celtics to the 2024 NBA championship, delivering 31 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds in Game 5 close-out (June 17, 2024).
Signed record five-year extension (up to $314M)
Signed a five-year contract extension worth up to $314 million on July 1, 2024 — the largest contract in NBA history at signing.
All-NBA First Team selection (2025)
Selected to All-NBA First Team for the 2024–25 season (fourth consecutive First Team selection overall per sources).
Career earnings and public net-worth baseline (as reported)
Public sources note he has made at least $155,977,050 in NBA salary earnings to date (cumulative reported earnings figure); used as baseline for net-worth estimations.
Sixth consecutive All-Star selection (2025) – starter
Named an Eastern Conference starter for the 2025 All-Star Game (sixth selection overall, third straight as starter).
Suffered non-contact Achilles tendon rupture (May 13, 2025)
In Game 4 of second-round series vs New York Knicks on May 13, 2025, dove for a loose ball, ruptured his Achilles; underwent surgery the next day and was ruled out for remainder of season.
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